Article of footwear with integral ankle and heel support



June 28, 1960 s. F. BUSHWAY ETAL 2,942,359

ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH INTEGRAL ANKLE AND HEEL SUPPORT I Filed May 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. l

INVENTORS GEORGE F. BUSHWAY B VICTOR S. BUSCEMA 2W 2 ATTORNEYS June 28, 1960 G. F. BUSHWAY ET AL 2,942,359

ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH INTEGRAL ANKLE AND HEEL SUPPORT Filed May 20, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS GEORGE E BUSHWAY' VICTOR S. BUSCEMA ATTORNEYS (rill!) United States Patent ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR WITH INTEGRAL I ANKLE AND HEEL-SUPPORT George Bushway, Andover, and Victor S. Buscema, Methuen, Mass., assignors to Tyer Rubber Company, I Audover, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed May 20, 1959, Ser. No. 814,622 4 Claims. (Cl. 36-s.s

' This invention relates to footwear and, more particuthe uppers are normally fabricated does not provide suf-.

ficient supportfor the ankle. Additionally, footwear heretofore available has generally proven unsatisfactoi'y in thatchafing and irritation occur at the sides of the ankleand lower back of the heel, which are inherently tender areas. A

' Accordingly, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a novel and improved article of footwear having an integral ankle and heel support member which will provide improved support for the heel and ankle of the wearer while at the same time protect the tender heel and ankle portions from chafing and irritation.

It is a further object of the present'invention to provide such an article of footwear in which the footwear may be readily put on and removed from the foot by means of lacings or other closure means, with the same closure means also'serving to firmly engage the ankle support member about the foot of a wearer and ajust the tension necessary for proper support and comfort.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an article of footwear of the type described which will provide added comfort for the wearer as well as the improved ankle and heel support while at the same time will not detract from the pleasing appearance of the footwear.

. The manner in which the objects of this. invention are accomplished will be apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment of the invention-when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which: I

Fig; lis a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of an article of footwear constructed in accordance with the present invention;

. Fig. 2 is a plan view of an ankle support member of thepresent invention prior to assembly withina shoe; Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view substantially along the line 33 of Fig. 1;

4 Fig. v4 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating a modified structure.

The following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention will be made in terms of the specific structure shown in the accompanying drawings, which is a shoe of the type often referred to as a basketball shoe. However, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this particular type of footwear but Pat t J n 8.19 0

is applicable to other articles of footwear in which ankl support is necessary or desirable.

With reference'to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, an exemplary article of footwear with whichthis invention is concerned comprises an upper generally shown at 10 comprising a plurality of layers of material. Theupper includes a shank 12 and a back 14, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the upper extends upwardly beyond and is constructed to be drawn about the ankle and over the instep of a wearer. As isrusual, fastening means are provided to secure the shoe to the ,foot of a wearer and comprise, as elements thereof, a pair of sets of eyelets 16 which are generally aligned along each front edge 17 of the upper. The eyelets will, of'course, receive laces, not shown, which cooperate with the eyelets in theusual manner to provide means for drawing the upper in a direction over the instep and around the ankle of the wearer. As shown in Fig. 4, the eyelets extend through a pliable outer layer 18 of the upper and also through an eyelet stay 20 overlying the outer layer 18 and permanently stitched thereto. A back stay 22 strengthens the back of the upper. .The upper is permanently connected along its 'loweredge portionsto a sole 24 comprising an outsole 2.6, midsole 28, and insole 30. As will be seen from, Figs. 1 and 3, the outer layer 18 and back stay 22 are tucked under and between the outsole 24 and midsole 28. The insole 30, in the specific embodiment shown, is preferably fabricated of a resilient, sponge-like material to provide comfortable support forthe bottom of the foot of the wearer. h

-In accordance with the invention an ankle and heel support member 32 is disposed within the upper 10 and permanently stitchedthereto as at 34 to form an'integral part of the upper. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thesupport member 32 comprises a layer 36 of resiliently deformable while substantially incompressible sponge-like material, such as uni-cellular or cellularpsponge rubber, a stiffening rubberized compound, a rubber impregnated fabric treated with hardening liquid, etc. The layer 36, having the characteristics described, will, when firmly engaged about the heel and ankle of a wearer, conform generally to the contours of the portions of the foot engaged thereby to provide firm support for the foot while at the same time eliminating any chafing or irritation of the tender heel and ankle portions of the foot. The support member further comprises a backing layer 38 which overlies and is cemented or otherwise permanently secured to the support member 32 and which may be fabricated from canvas or other like pliable material which is relatively unyieldable to stretching in the general plane of the layer. This latter feature is desirable I in order to minimize any stretching of the ankle support member which would tend to reduce the support of the portions of the foot engaged thereby.

With particular reference to Fig. 2, the support member and backing layer each comprises a'bottom edge 40, a back portion 42, a pair of top edges 44, and a generally curved, angular or V-shaped front edge 46 extending from'each of thertop edges 44 to the bottom edge40. When located within the shoe, as will be apparent from 'Figs.1 and 2, the support. member 36 will assume a generally U-shaped configuration, with-the then generally U-shaped bottom edge 40-extending from within the shank region'12 on one side of the shoe rearwardly and around the heel seat and forwardly to a position on the other side of the shoe corresponding to the shank region 12. The then curved back portion 42' of the support member will. lie alongside and within the back stay 22, with the body of the support in position to embrace the ankle'and heel ofa wearer.' '-As apparent fromFigs. 1

and 3, it is preferred that the bottom edge portion of the support member be tapered and interleaved between the midsole and outsole. A reinforcing counter 48 is provided around the heel portion, and the bottom edge of the counter is also preferably tapered and interleaved between the midsole and out-sole. The counter 48 preferably comprises a layer of resiliently deformable substantially incompressible material such as rubber but which is firmer than the material of the layer 36 of the support member.

As clearly shown in Fig. l, the counter is permanently stitched to the outer layer 18 of the upper as well as the intervening layers therebetween. Additionally, as is clear from Fig. 1, the top edge 44 of the support member is permancntly'stit'che'd to the outer layer 18 of the upperand extends upwardly of and above the ankle bone region of the shoe. Further, as shown in Fig. 1, the front; edges 46 of the support member, when the support member is positioned in the shoe, will lie adjacent the fastening elements or eyelets 16 and extend from above the ankle region of the shoe generally parallel to and closely adjacent the upper eyelets 16, by means of which the shoe is drawn about the ankle and over the instep of the wearer. The initial portion of the front edges 46 terminate in the instep region of the shoe and from there the front edges incline rearwardly and downwardly through the shank region 12 to the sole of the shoe. As apparent from Fig. 1', the top edges 44 and front edges 46 of the support member are permanently stitched to the upper outer layer 18 and any intervening layers of material. As further apparent from Fig. 1, it is preferred that front edge portion 44 extending parallel to the eyelets 16 be superposed with the outer layer 18 and fastening means stay 20, as shown in Fig. 4, to assure that when the upper. is drawn about the ankle and over the instep of the wearer by the fastening means, the support member will be firmly engaged with the ankle and heel regions of the wearer to provide firm support for the same. The characteristics. of the backing member 38, whereby it is substantially unyieldable to stretching in the general plane of the layer, further assures that the support member will be firmly engaged with the foot to provide improved support as well as antichafing protection. a

As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, it is not necessary that the backing member or layer 38 be the specific means for providing the characteristic of the upperwhereby it is substantially unyieldable to stretch-. ing as the upper is drawn over the foot. Rather, this characteristic of the shoe may be provided by the proper selection of, one of the other layers of material forming the upper. Further, as will be apparent to those skilled manently connect the fastening means directly to the support member. In this maner, the tension provided by the fastening means will be transmitted directly to the support member 32 to further improve the supporting engagement of the support member with the foot of a wearer.

From the above it can be" seen that there has been provided a novel and improved article of footwear having an integral ankle and heel support member which will provide improved support for the ankle and heel of a wearer while at the same time 'will protect the tender regions. of the heel and ankle against chafing. The improved construction of the shoe of this invention while providing the improved, support and anti-chafing previ-. us y ment cne lso pro id a pleasing, n u y pp i an the pa t cular arr emen a d onst u ti n. f the support member relative; to. the upper permits easy 4 fitting and removal of the shoe to and from the foot of the wearer while at the same time eliminating any separate lacings or other fastening means for securing the support member about the foot of the wearer.

As heretofore mentioned, it is not intended that the invention should be limited to the specific structure shown but rather that it should include all articles of footwear in which the problem of ankle support and/or chafing is present. Accordingly, the invention is to be limited only by the appended claims, which shall include within their scope all structure which logically falls within the language of these claims.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. in an article of footwear having an upper including a shank portion and a back, a sole portion connected to the upper, and a heel seat defined by the upper and sole portion; the upper being constructed to extend about the ankle and over the instep of a wearer, fastening means on the upper for drawing the upper in a direction about the ankle and over the instep of a wearer including a pair of sets of fastening elements secured to the upper in a pair of spaced apart rows, the upper including an integral ankle and heel support member of resiliently deformable and substantially incompressible material disposed within and permanently attached to the upper, said support member extending along both sides of the upper rearwardly and around the back and including a U-shaped bottom edge portion extending from within the shank rearwardly and around the heel seat, a back portion eX- tending from the bottom edge portion upwardly along the back, a pair of top edge portions extending from the back portion forwardly and above the ankle region of the upper and terminating adjacent the fastening elements, and a pair of front edge portions extending from the top edge portions respectively and generally parallel to and adjacent said pair of sets of fastening elements to adjacent the shank and then toward and terminating at the bottom edge portion, the upper being in the region of said support member substantially unyieldable to stretching in the direction corresponding to drawing the upper over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer so that when the upper is drawn firmly over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer the support member will engage the heel and ankle of the wearer and conform generally to the contours of the heel and ankle to provide firm support for the same.

2. In an article of footwear having a multi-layer upper including a shank portion and a back, a sole portion connected to the upper, and a heel seat defined by the upper and sole portion; the upper being constructed to extend about and above the ankle and over the instep of a wearer, fastening means on the upper for drawing the upper in a direction about the ankle andv over the instep of a wearer including a pair of sets of fastening elements secured to the upper in a pair of spaced apart rows, one of the layers of the upper providing an ankle. and heel support member and being fabricated from resiliently deformable and substantially incompressible material, said support member extending along both sides of the upper along the sole and around the back and upwardly from the sole beyond the ankle bone region of the upper, the

' support member including a U-shaped bottom edge portion extending from within the shank rearwardly and around the heel seat, a back portion extending from the bottom edge portion upwardly along the back, a pair of top edge portions extending from the back portion forwardly and above the ankle region of theupper and terminating adjacent the fastening elements, and a pairof front edge portions extending from the top edge portions respectively and generally parallel to and adjacent said pair of sets of fastening elements to adjacent the shank and then, toward and terminating at the bottom edgeportiom. an other of the layers; of'the upp rbeing, in overyins e a i m o an p rmaneutly conn cted, to said un port member and being substantially unyieldable to stretching in the direction corresponding to drawing the upper over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer, and means permanently connecting said other layer and the front edge of said support member in integral relation to the upper and closely adjacent said fastening elements so that when the upper is drawn firmly over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer by said fastening means the support member will engage the heel and ankle of the wearer and conform generally to the contours of the heel and ankle to provide support for the same.

3. In an article of footwear having a multi-layer upper including a shank portion and a back, a sole portion connected to the upper, and a heel seat defined by the upper and sole portion; the upper being constructed to extend about and above the ankle and over the instep of a wearer, fastening means on the upper for drawing the upper in a direction about the ankle and over the instep of a wearer including a pair of sets of fastening elements secured to the upper in a pair of spaced apart rows, a stay reinforcing the upper in the region of each set of fastening elements, one of the layers of said upper comprising an ankle and heel support member of resiliently deformable and substantially incompressible material disposed within and permanently attached to the upper, said support member extending from adjacent the shank on both sides of the upper rearwardly and around the back and including a bottom edge portion extending from within the shank rearwardly and around the heel seat, a back portion extending from the bottom edge portion upwardly alongthe back, a pair of top edge portions extending from the back portion forwardly and above the ankle region of the upper and terminating adjacent the fastening elements, .and a pair of front edge portions extending from the top edge portions respectively yand generally parallel to and adjacent said pair of sets of fastening elements and in overlying relation with the fastening means stays to a point. adjacent the instep portion of the upper and then toward and through the shank and terminating at the bottom edge portion, the upper further including an other layer overlying said support member and being substantially unyieldable to stretching in the direction corresponding to drawing the upper over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer, the support member being fixed to said other layer at least along the peripheral portions of the support member, and means permanently connecting the front edge portions of the support member and corresponding portions of said other layer to the fastening means stays so that when the upper is drawn firmly over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer the support member will engage the heel and ankle of the wearer and conform generally to the contours of the heel and ankle to provide firm support for the same.

4. In an article of footwear having a multi-layer upper.

having an outer layer and including a shank portion and a back, a sole portion connected to the upper, and a heel seat defined by the upper and sole portion; the upper being constructed to extend about and above the ankle and over the instep of a wearer, fastening means on the upper for drawing the upper in a direction about the ankle and over the instep of a wearer including a pair of sets of fastening elements secured to the upper in a pair of spaced apart rows, one of the layers of the upper being an ankle and heel support member and including a layer of resiliently deformable and substantially incompressible material and extending from Within the shank along both sides of the upper and around the back, said support member including a U-shaped bottom edge portion extending from within the shank rearwardly and around the heel seat, a back portion extending from the bottom edge portion upwardly along the back, a pair of top edge portions extending from the back portion forwardly and above the ankle region of the upper, and a pair of front edge portions extending from the top edge portions respectively and generally parallel to and adjacent said pair of sets of fastening elements and then through the shank and toward and terminating at the bottom edge portion, said support member further including a pliable backing member fabricated of material which is substantially unyieldable to stretching in the direction corresponding to drawing the upper over the instep and around the ankle of a wearer, said backing member and I References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 994,849 Liberman June 13, 1911 1,522,256 Meyers Jan. 6, 1925 1,548,172 Redden Aug. 4, 1925 2,550,484 Kaut et al. Apr. 24, 1951 Attesting Oflicer UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent N00 2,942 359 June 28 1960 George F Bushway et a1.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 4 line l8 rafter "aboutVinsert and above Signed "and sealed this 27th day of December 1960.

SEA L) Attest:

KARL H. AXLINE ROBERT C. WATSGN Commissioner of Patents 

